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An Alchemist in His Studio

  • Circa 1640 – 1677

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BY 4.0

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Holding a letter in his right hand, the alchemist glances to one side as if caught in contemplative thought. A large glass distillation apparatus—alembic, receiver, and cucurbit—is before him, shining with reflected light from the open window above. On his desk sits a globe, a red-lidded apothecary's jar, a large-format text, and an open letter with broken wax seals in red. The man's scholarly robes and the birdcage above signal his prosperity and status. Painted on oak panel.

Artist
Provenance

(sale, Sotheby's, London, 15 February 1989 lot 85 (to Eddleman)).

Spectrum Laboratories, Rancho Dominguez, CA, acquired by Roy Eddleman, 1989 - 2000.

The Chemical Heritage Foundation, 2000 (from Eddleman/Spectrum).
Format
Genre
Medium
Extent
  • 23.5 cm H x 19.7 cm W
Inscription
  • (Bottom right corner) "Twijck"
Subject
Rights Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Credit line
  • Courtesy of Science History Institute

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Cite as

Wyck, Thomas. An Alchemist in His Studio. Panel (wood by form), oil paint (paint), circa 1640–1677. Science History Institute. Philadelphia. https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/5t34sk17b.

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